Abscess Management: A Guide for the Healthcare Team
Target Audience: Pharmacist, Pharmacy Tech
Course Overview
Abscesses are collections of pus in the dermis or deeper skin tissues and are commonly caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Furuncles, or boils, result from staphylococcal infections that affect a hair follicle and the surrounding tissue. This course provides an overview of the common risk factors, pathophysiology, etiology, and epidemiology of abscesses. The clinical manifestations and diagnosis of abscesses will also be reviewed using a patient-centered approach within an interdisciplinary healthcare team framework.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe clinical manifestations of abscesses
- Recall treatment strategies for furuncles and carbuncles
- Compare and Contrast antibiotics used in the management of abscesses
- Educate patients and caregivers on the appropriate use of antibiotics to manage abscesses
- Describe the collaborative roles and responsibilities of healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and physicians, in the diagnosis and treatment of abscesses
Faculty
- Introduction
- Defining Abscesses
- Classification of SSTIs
- Etiology and Epidemiology
- Pathophysiology of SSTIs and Abscesses
- Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis
- Signs and Symptoms of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
- Diagnosing Abscesses
- Management of Abscesses
- Collaborative Practice Considerations
- Guideline and Panel Recommendations
- General Management Strategies
- Recurrent Abscesses
- Patient Education
- The Role of Pharmacy Technicians
- Summary
- Disclosures
From July 1, 2026 through December 30, 2027, participants must:
- Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
- Study the section entitled "educational activity"
- Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.
Faculty Planner Disclosure
The following individuals were involved in planning, developing, and/or authoring this activity: L. Austin Fredrickson, MD, FACP; Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS; and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. None of the individuals involved in developing this activity has a conflict of interest or financial relationships related to the subject matter. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The information provided in this course is general in nature, and it is designed solely to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant's professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals must consult their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization for guidelines, protocols, and procedures to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures, but is for academic purposes only, and this course's limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses is constantly changing. Any person taking this course understands that such a person must make an independent review of medication information before any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only, and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course or course material.
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- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
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- A connection to the internet
Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
PTCB Recognition
RxCe.com, LLC, offers pharmacy technician continuing education courses for PTCB recertification. Pharmacy technician courses are indicated both in the Target Audience description and the ACPE UAN which will end with a "T".